Software History

Software History

10186 bookmarks
Newest
Cojones Guatemalan by Good Coffee Cartel Review | James' Coffee Blog
Cojones Guatemalan by Good Coffee Cartel Review | James' Coffee Blog
The Good Coffee Cartel has been on my radar for months. Based in Glasgow, the Cartel has a reputation for the consideration they give to the environment, and for great coffees. According to their website, the Cartel was the first coffee shop to offer a reusable cup exchange program where customers could receive their coffee in a clean reusable cup in exchange for a deposit.
Cojones Guatemalan by Good Coffee Cartel Review | James' Coffee Blog
Aeropress vs. Kalita Wave? | James' Coffee Blog
Aeropress vs. Kalita Wave? | James' Coffee Blog
I started brewing on the Aeropress and I was able to make many delicious cups of coffee. But, at the end of last year I got an urge to start trying out a new method of brewing coffee. I chose the Kalita Wave to brew with, which I learned was supposed to be a forgiving brewer, meaning small mistakes would not derail the quality of the final brew.
Aeropress vs. Kalita Wave? | James' Coffee Blog
An Aeropress glossary | James' Coffee Blog
An Aeropress glossary | James' Coffee Blog
The Aeropress is a versatile brewing device. As a result, people use the Aeropress in a lot of different ways. With these new ways of brewing, there are many pieces of jargon and technical terms that you may encounter in a recipe.
An Aeropress glossary | James' Coffee Blog
Steampunk Coffee's Packaging | James' Coffee Blog
Steampunk Coffee's Packaging | James' Coffee Blog
Steampunk is one of two coffee roasters that I've come to learn about in more depth than the rest. I've spent some time reading about the Scottish speciality coffee market. There are so many roasters and many of them do not have active online presences. I rely on the online presences of roasters because I buy most of my speciality coffee online. I brew most of my coffee at home.
Steampunk Coffee's Packaging | James' Coffee Blog
The Fellow Ode grinder: a few weeks later | James' Coffee Blog
The Fellow Ode grinder: a few weeks later | James' Coffee Blog
If you talk to a coffee professional about how they can get the most out of their coffee, a common recommendation you will hear is to have the right grinder. Grinders impact one's ability to extract the flavours out of the coffee they have. When I first started drinking speciality coffee, I had a Hario Mini Mill. I made good coffee but I knew there was better. I could get much better filter coffee in a speciality coffee shop than I could at home. When I made a leap to the Baratza Encore, I realised a better grinder does indeed improve the taste of your coffee (as long as your technique is right).
The Fellow Ode grinder: a few weeks later | James' Coffee Blog
Coffee Chat with Tim Williams from World Aeropress Championship | James' Coffee Blog
Coffee Chat with Tim Williams from World Aeropress Championship | James' Coffee Blog
World Aeropress Championships are renowned in the coffee community for being a fun, light-hearted competition, but with a serious side too. Competitors aim to brew the best cup of Aeropress coffee they can. Aeropress championships are open to anyone, from beginners who have never used an Aeropress before (as you will see in the interview!) to seasoned coffee brewers.
Coffee Chat with Tim Williams from World Aeropress Championship | James' Coffee Blog
Building a random Aeropress recipe generator for my search engine | James' Coffee Blog
Building a random Aeropress recipe generator for my search engine | James' Coffee Blog
Back when I was working on my thermal printer project, I decided to build a random Aeropress recipe generator. The idea was that I would get a new Aeropress recipe in print every morning so that I could push myself when I was brewing. Truthfully, I didn't use the feature much because I was quite stubborn about using recipes I had refined through practice. However, I like the idea. Embracing randomness pushes one out of their comfort zone.
Building a random Aeropress recipe generator for my search engine | James' Coffee Blog
Using a coarser grind with the Aeropress | James' Coffee Blog
Using a coarser grind with the Aeropress | James' Coffee Blog
I recently tried to brew an Aeropress using a recipe based on French press brewing. I decided to let coarse coffee grounds brew for four minutes like I would with a French press. Then, I affixed the filter cap to the Aeropress, flipped the device, and pressed down the plunger. I was curious whether the Aeropress is a good substitute for the French press when brewing for one person.
Using a coarser grind with the Aeropress | James' Coffee Blog
My first brew with the Kalita Wave | James' Coffee Blog
My first brew with the Kalita Wave | James' Coffee Blog
I ordered a Kalita Wave on Christmas Day, as well as a gooseneck kettle and the accompanying filters for the Wave. I have been brewing with the Aeropress, a hybrid immersion brewer, for months, and I wanted a change. I know there is a wide range of pour-over options and I wanted to start to dip my toe into one. I chose the Kalita Wave for its design. Because the Wave has a flat bed, the device is less susceptible to clogging to due fines migration. This is when fines flow to the bottom of the filter and plug up the holes—only 10-20 microns large in filter paper—thus reducing the flow of water.
My first brew with the Kalita Wave | James' Coffee Blog
Measuring Coffee with Scales | James' Coffee Blog
Measuring Coffee with Scales | James' Coffee Blog
I've brewed two cups of coffee with a set of scales. On my first cup, I tried to measure the coffee after I had ground it. This turned out to be a mistake.
Measuring Coffee with Scales | James' Coffee Blog
Coffee Chat with Jonathan from Ukiyo Koffie | James' Coffee Blog
Coffee Chat with Jonathan from Ukiyo Koffie | James' Coffee Blog
Ukiyo Koffie, a business that sells coffee from a bicycle cart, caught my eye on Instagram. Aside from the aesthetic of the page, I was intrigued by the idea of serving coffee from a mobile bike you could take anywhere.
Coffee Chat with Jonathan from Ukiyo Koffie | James' Coffee Blog
My Experience with the Aeropress | James' Coffee Blog
My Experience with the Aeropress | James' Coffee Blog
While I have been brewing with pour-over devices for over a month, I have not forgotten about my Aeropress, the first coffee brewing device I purchased. The Aeropress introduced me to the world of brewing coffee at home and as I used the device I found myself interested in learning more about how to improve my cup.
My Experience with the Aeropress | James' Coffee Blog
Experimenting with coarser grinding for the Aeropress | James' Coffee Blog
Experimenting with coarser grinding for the Aeropress | James' Coffee Blog
I have written in the past about my experiment using a French press grind on the Aeropress. Recently, I've been experimenting with coarser grinds. Not as coarse as a French press, but a bit coarser than usual. I am now convinced a grind closer to the one I use for my Kalita Wave produces a better brew than the traditional
Experimenting with coarser grinding for the Aeropress | James' Coffee Blog
An Unknown Coffee Tasting | James' Coffee Blog
An Unknown Coffee Tasting | James' Coffee Blog
I'm currently drinking an unknown coffee from my local coffee shop. I did not ask what coffee beans they use when I asked if they could sell me a small supply to tide my over until my next shipment arrived. I decided to use this as an opportunity to refine my tasting skills.
An Unknown Coffee Tasting | James' Coffee Blog
Cupping the same coffee roasted differently | James' Coffee Blog
Cupping the same coffee roasted differently | James' Coffee Blog
Earlier this week, I received a package containing some coffee. Unlike other coffee deliveries I have received, this one contained two bags of the same coffee. But, the end product was not the same. Both coffees had been roasted to different degrees, allowing me to get an insight into how roast influences the taste of a bean. One bean was roasted lighter—more traditional for speciality coffee—and another was labelled
Cupping the same coffee roasted differently | James' Coffee Blog
Coffee Chat with James from PuckPuck | James' Coffee Blog
Coffee Chat with James from PuckPuck | James' Coffee Blog
Over the last few weeks, I have been brewing some cold coffee at home. In my research, I have come across three different types of cold coffee: iced, iced drip, and cold brew. I had a few questions about cold coffee so I decided to reach out to PuckPuck, who make a slow iced drip coffee adapter for the Aeropress. James, who currently runs PuckPuck, got back to me and we had a chat about cold brew coffee, iced drip coffee, the PuckPuck, and more. Our chat is below. I hope you enjoy our discussion.
Coffee Chat with James from PuckPuck | James' Coffee Blog
Home espresso and interesting resources | James' Coffee Blog
Home espresso and interesting resources | James' Coffee Blog
Over the last few days, I have went back to brewing filter coffee using my usual brewing devices. And I also brewed an Aeropress at the local park, which was a fun activity. I decided to go back to filter brewing because after a lot of trial and error I was not able to get to an espresso shot that I was particularly proud of using the Flair Espresso brewing device. I tried different doses and grind sizes, developed a consistent distribution technique, but although my shots got better I got to a point where I had tried to many variables that I could not avoid the elephant in the room: my grinder.
Home espresso and interesting resources | James' Coffee Blog
My Aeropress is difficult to push... | James' Coffee Blog
My Aeropress is difficult to push... | James' Coffee Blog
In hindsight, I have not been brewing my best cups of coffee lately. I noticed this when I brewed a cup of coffee with my new grinder. When I pushed my Aeropress down to decant the coffee into my mug, I noticed the plunger was much easier to push down. The plunger did not push too quickly; it felt just right.
My Aeropress is difficult to push... | James' Coffee Blog
Coffee Chat with Lisa Lawson from Dear Green | James' Coffee Blog
Coffee Chat with Lisa Lawson from Dear Green | James' Coffee Blog
Based in Glasgow, Dear Green has been roasting coffee in Glasgow for ten years. Lisa Lawson, the founder of Dear Green, takes on many roles to make sure that Dear Green delivers a consistent quality of coffee. I spoke with Lisa over email to learn more about how Dear Green roasts coffee. We discussed everything from equipment to what skills you need to be a successful coffee roaster. You can read our chat below.
Coffee Chat with Lisa Lawson from Dear Green | James' Coffee Blog
Why I Love the Aeropress | James' Coffee Blog
Why I Love the Aeropress | James' Coffee Blog
I bought an Aeropress months ago. It seems like it's been part of my daily routine forever. I brew one cup of coffee in the morning and one in mid-afternoon. I've written about my Aeropress extensively on my website. I've published the recipe I try to follow for anyone who is interested in learning about how I brew coffee.
Why I Love the Aeropress | James' Coffee Blog
Brewing a Better Cup of Coffee | James' Coffee Blog
Brewing a Better Cup of Coffee | James' Coffee Blog
It's almost essential that you start brewing coffee from a humble beginning. I don't have an origin story where I sat drinking bitter diner coffee into the early hours of the morning. I drank instant coffee for a while but I gave up on it. Instant coffee was good because it felt like it packed a punch. I felt a bit more adult drinking instant coffee than tea, which I had been allowed to drink for a long while before coffee.
Brewing a Better Cup of Coffee | James' Coffee Blog
Thoughts on the regular Aeropress method | James' Coffee Blog
Thoughts on the regular Aeropress method | James' Coffee Blog
I have been using the inverted Aeropress method for months. Recently, I tried out the regular method. The last time I used this method was when I first got started using the Aeropress.
Thoughts on the regular Aeropress method | James' Coffee Blog
Coffee Chat with Bean Thinking | James' Coffee Blog
Coffee Chat with Bean Thinking | James' Coffee Blog
A few weeks ago, I discovered Bean Thinking, a blog devoted to the intersection of science and coffee. Karen, the owner of Bean Thinking, has conducted various experiments that describe effects we can see in a cup of coffee. In this interview, I talk with Karen about how she plans and executes experiments and the philosophy behind her blog.
Coffee Chat with Bean Thinking | James' Coffee Blog
Aeropress French Press | James' Coffee Blog
Aeropress French Press | James' Coffee Blog
A few days ago, I asked myself the question whether it was possible to brew a French press-style coffee in an Aeropress. I thought this would be possible because both the French press and the Aeropress are immersion brewers. Water is soaked in grounds and left to steep for a period of time. Then, the grounds are separated from the coffee. A French press does not do as good a job at removing the grounds as an Aeropress—this is on account of the size of the holes in a French press metal filter—and so the cup profiles are a bit different.
Aeropress French Press | James' Coffee Blog
Coffee Books to Read This Holiday Season: Part One | James' Coffee Blog
Coffee Books to Read This Holiday Season: Part One | James' Coffee Blog
To advance my knowledge of coffee, I have turned to books. There are plenty of blogs online devoted to coffee and it was blog posts and videos that helped me learn the basics of home brewing. But I found myself spending a lot of time looking for articles to read on home brewing and I thought there may be a better way for me to learn. I discovered that hundreds of books have been written about brewing coffee, the history of coffee, and cafes.
Coffee Books to Read This Holiday Season: Part One | James' Coffee Blog
Brewing one cup of coffee with the Chemex | James' Coffee Blog
Brewing one cup of coffee with the Chemex | James' Coffee Blog
Most of the brewing recipes I have read for the Chemex recommend brewing enough coffee for two cups. The Chemex is suited for brewing multiple cups, so I understand why so many recipes outline how to brew two or more cups. But I like to drink one cup of coffee at a time. If I want another cup, I'll brew one later on. The only time I brew multiple cups of coffee is if I am making a brew for a member of my household.
Brewing one cup of coffee with the Chemex | James' Coffee Blog